JEFF TURNER

When Jesus spoke to Peter about building his church, he made a statement that has been understood in different ways throughout history. He said that the gates of hell would not defeat his church, and he mentioned a rock as its foundation. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Peter himself was this rock, pointing to the idea that Peter went to Rome and became the first pope. However, there is no historical evidence to support this claim.

Looking closely at what Jesus actually said reveals a different meaning. Right after this conversation, Jesus called Peter “Satan” and told him to get out of his way. This happened because Peter was trying to stop Jesus from going to the cross. Later, Peter showed his weakness again when he denied knowing Jesus three times on the night of his arrest. Do these verses not make it clear that Peter was too unstable to serve as the foundation for the entire church?

The key to understanding this passage lies in recognizing what Jesus was really pointing to. When Peter declared that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, he spoke a truth that came directly from God the Father. Jesus acknowledged that Peter was like a small stone, but the rock he would build his church on was something much larger. It was the truth of Peter’s confession itself. The church stands on the bedrock truth that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God. This confession, not any human leader, forms the unshakeable foundation that hell cannot overcome.